As the European Directive's “WEEE Day” comes and goes in the UK almost unnoticed many other European countries, including Ireland, will see producer and retailer responsibility for electrical waste start tomorrow.
” I would ask for the public to show some forbearance by not rushing out to deposit their waste electrical appliances at civic amenity sites when free take back begins “
– Dick Roche, Irish Environment minister
WEEE Ireland Ltd and European WEEE platform Ireland have both been approved for a five year period. They will now be able to register producers in order for them to comply with their responsibility.
WEEE Register Society has also been approved as the National registration body for electrical waste. It will be responsible for registering producers of electrical and electronic equipment and determining market share as part of the producer funded regime for electronic recycling.
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But, while the Irish government is ready for the start of producer and retailer responsibility, minister for the Environment, heritage and local government – Dick Roche – has called for residents not to go out this weekend and overload collection points with electrical waste.
“I would ask for the public to show some forbearance by not rushing out to deposit their waste electrical appliances at civic amenity sites when free take back begins.”
“The free take back of WEEE is not some time limited, once off opportunity, this new scheme is here for the long term, opening up an exciting new chapter in the development of waste and recycling in Ireland,” said Mr Roche.
He also reiterated that householders who may have stockpiled computers and televisions should not clear their garages and sheds straight away as there would be no sense in unnecessary queues developing at civic amenity sites on August 13.
The UK government announced further delays to the start of producer and retailer responsibility this week, which will now begin in June 2006 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Letsrecycle.com is holding a special conference on the way forward for waste electronics on October 12. For more details see the letsrecycle.com events page
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